Development of Bone Exostosis Following the Use of a Free Gingival Graft: A 30-Year Case Report and Literature Review

Bone exostosis is defined as a benign overgrowth of bone tissue of unclear origin. Rarely, bone exostosis might develop following soft tissue graft procedures like mucogingival surgical interventions (eg, FGG or subepithelial CTG). This aberration has been mainly associated with surgical trauma or fenestration of the periosteum but is still a matter of debate. The present paper (1) presents a clinical case with clinical, radiographic, and histologic findings at 30 years following application of an FGG to increase the gingival width and (2) provides a short literature review on this particular clinical condition. At the clinical examination, the FGG was firm to palpation, and the 3D images showed an area of increased radiopacity. Histologic analysis revealed localized thickening of the bone with an overlaying connective tissue covered by keratinized epithelium. The bony tissue was vital, had a convex shape, and contained many osteocytes and resting lines, demonstrating some moderate signs of bone remodeling. The connective tissue and keratinized epithelium displayed a regular thickness without any signs of inflammation. Taken together, the histologic findings failed to reveal any pathologic signs except for the presence of vital bone formed outside the bony envelope. It can be concluded that: (1) the development of a bone exostosis following a mucogingival procedure is a rare clinical sequela of uncertain etiology, and (2) surgical removal of the exostosis may be indicated accordingly with patient symptoms.